The Rupee closed out the year with a second straight monthly decline in December, a period in which it fell past the 91-per-dollar mark for the first time, before intervention by the Reserve Bank of India helped spark a recovery. The rupee settled at 89.87 against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, down 0.1% on the day, taking its losses for the month to 0.5%. The currency dropped 4.7% over 2025, its biggest annual decline in three years. The factors that weighed on the rupee for much of the year remained in place in December, including foreign selling of Indian equities, an increase in importer hedging and the absence of a trade deal with the U.S. After the rupee slipped past the 91-per-dollar mark, the RBI intervened aggressively on two separate occasions, bankers said, to rein in speculative dollar positions and temper a surge in hedging demand from importers. The British pound was a touch softer against the dollar on Wednesday but was still heading for its biggest annual rise in eight years. However, the pound has fallen against the euro in 2025 and is set to end the year as the worst-performing major European currency. Sterling was last down 0.2% against the dollar at $1.3436. For the year, the pound is up 7.5%, its biggest annual jump since a 9.5% rise in 2017. The euro, Swiss franc, Norwegian and Swedish crowns have gained between 13% and 19% against the dollar this year. Against the euro , the pound was down 0.1% on Wednesday. It has fallen over 5% to 87.24 pence in 2025, its biggest annual drop against the single currency since 2020. While the pound has had a strong 2025 against a dismal dollar, the backdrop for sterling in the second half of the year was of domestic political worries, concerns about Britain's public finances and stagnant growth. The big focus for currency traders was the Autumn budget but November's fiscal event passed without too much fuss, alleviating some of the pressure that had been building for the pound in the second half. The pound's performance in 2026 will likely depend on the Bank of England's monetary policy actions. The central bank lowered borrowing costs four times in 2025, including in December, although the rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee remains divided and policymakers signalled that the already gradual pace of rate cuts could slow further. Money market traders are not fully pricing in another rate cut until June. Around 40 basis points of easing is priced by year end, implying around a 60% chance of a second rate cut. Oil prices crept higher on Wednesday, while heading for a fall of more than 15% over the course of 2025, as expectations of oversupply increased in a year marked by wars, higher tariffs, increased OPEC+ output and sanctions on Russia, Iran and Venezuela. Brent crude futures , down nearly 18% - the most substantial annual percentage decline since 2020 - are on track for a third straight year of losses, their longest losing streak to date. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude headed for a 19% annual decline.......